This invention relates to liquid transfer apparatus and adaptors for liquid transfer apparatus.
The invention has particular application to liquid transfer apparatus and adaptors for transferring hazardous chemical liquids but it also has application to the transfer of safe liquids where accurate measurement is required.
There are many instances in which hazardous chemicals need to be transferred from one container to another, for example, when mixing poisons such as weedicides or pesticides with water. Typically, an operator pours the poison into a measuring container and then pours the measured amount into the applicator, whether it be a manually operated applicator or a motor driven or tractor drawn applicator.
International patent application No. PCT/AU95/00869 describes apparatus for and a method of transferring hazardous liquids from one container to another utilising a suction pump assembly with bubble extraction chambers and a transfer vessel interposed between the bubble extraction chambers and the container of poison and arranged so that a desired amount of poison may flow into the transfer vessel once suction is applied without entering the pump assembly and then be transferred to an applicator or other container as required. Whilst this system works quite effectively in commercial operations, it is not as compact as is desirable and additionally the pump assembly is expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the system does not lend itself to easy portability, transport or safe storage.
One object of the present invention is to provide liquid transfer apparatus for use in transferring hazardous liquids which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Another object is to provide liquid transfer apparatus which lends itself to easy portability and can be used by home handymen as well as commercial operators. It is another object to provide liquid transfer apparatus which includes means for accurately measuring quantities of liquid being transferred. Another object is to provide liquid transfer apparatus which can operate in conjunction with a container of liquid chemical in a closed system. It is yet another object to provide liquid transfer apparatus which can be easily dismantled for cleaning purposes. It is still yet another object to provide a system of transferring hazardous liquids which reduces the likelihood of spillage including complementary components in conjunction with liquid transfer apparatus.
With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in liquid transfer apparatus for transferring liquid from one container to another container including:
a body defining an elongate liquid storage chamber having a liquid inlet at one end and a fluid outlet spaced longitudinally from said liquid inlet, a pump chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a fluid flow passage connecting said elongate liquid storage chamber and said pump chamber via said fluid outlet of said elongate storage chamber and said fluid inlet of said pump chamber, and a handle, said body being formed of two halves joined together, each half defining part of said elongate storage chamber and part of said pump chamber and being constructed substantially of a thermoplastics material;
pump means mounted in said pump chamber for sucking air from said storage chamber via said pump chamber fluid inlet, and
valve means for selectively opening and closing said liquid inlet whereby liquid may be allowed to flow into said elongate storage chamber upon suction being applied to said elongate liquid storage chamber by said pump means and opening of said liquid inlet. Preferably, said handle includes a passage therethrough which forms at least part of said fluid flow passage and each half defines half of said handle and said passage. It is to be understood that the term xe2x80x9chalfxe2x80x9d and its derivatives as used herein unless clearly not appropriate is intended to encompass complementary parts which when joined together form the body or a component of the body as described but which may not be actual mathematical halves. Furthermore, terms such as upright, upper and lower, top and bottom and the like are used for the purpose of description and illustration of the invention in the position it would normally be used for extracting liquid from one container, but it is to be understood that these terms do not limit the use of the invention to this position.
In another aspect this invention resides broadly in liquid transfer apparatus for transferring liquid from one container to another container including:
a body defining an elongate liquid storage chamber having a liquid inlet at one end in a spigot portion of said body for receiving liquid from the one container and for discharging liquid to the other container, and a fluid outlet spaced longitudinally from said liquid inlet, a pump chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a fluid flow passage connecting said elongate liquid storage chamber and said pump chamber via said fluid outlet of said elongate storage chamber and said fluid inlet of said pump chamber, and a handle, said spigot portion being adapted to sealingly cooperate with a complementary socket provided in the one container;
suction pump means mounted in said pump chamber for sucking air from said storage chamber via said pump chamber fluid inlet, and
valve means for selectively opening and closing said liquid inlet whereby liquid may be allowed to flow into said elongate storage chamber upon suction being applied to said elongate liquid storage chamber by said pump means and opening of said liquid inlet.
Preferably, said fluid flow passage includes one or more liquid collection chambers therein for collecting liquid from moist air flowing therethrough, said one or more liquid extraction chambers being arranged so that liquid from moisture laden air flowing through said fluid flow passage may collect therein.
Preferably, said valve is controlled by a trigger mounted adjacent said handle.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a conduit connected to said pump chamber fluid outlet for allowing fluid sucked from said elongate storage chamber to flow to the one container thereby allowing the apparatus and the container to form a closed system for transfer from the container to the storage chamber so that air or fluid sucked from the storage chamber is discharged into the container as liquid is removed. It is also preferred that the conduit open adjacent said spigot portion and be adapted to cooperate with the complementary socket provided on the one container to allow the fluid to flow into the one container as liquid is removed.
In another aspect the invention resides broadly in an adaptor for fitting to an opening of a container and adapted to co-operate with a spigot portion or other part of a pump or other liquid transfer apparatus for filling the apparatus with liquid from the container, the adaptor including:
a socket portion having an entry adapted to receive therethrough the spigot portion(or other liquid entry part) of the liquid transfer apparatus for sealing engagement of the spigot portion in said socket portion;
securing means on said socket portion or operatively connected to said socket portion for securing said socket portion to the container for liquid communication of the socket portion with the container via the container opening;
a liquid inlet in said socket portion for allowing liquid to flow into said socket portion from the container, the parts being so made and arranged that liquid may flow from said socket portion to the liquid transfer apparatus through the spigot portion (or other liquid entry part) upon vacuum being thereto applied, the diameter of said entry being greater than the diameter of the opening of the container.
Preferably, the socket portion has a fluid outlet spaced from the fluid inlet which is connected to a conduit or other flow passage through which fluid can flow into the container. Suitably, the fluid outlet is adapted for sealed fluid communication with a complementary fluid outlet on the pump or other liquid transfer apparatus with which the adaptor is to be used whereby air, vapour or other fluid expelled from the pump can flow through the fluid outlet and into the container thereby allowing the pump and the container to form a closed system during transfer of liquid from the container to the pump. Preferably the fluid flow passage opens within the bounds of the securing means so that fluid flowing therethrough will flow into the container via the container opening.
Preferably, the adaptor is constituted by two main components with the socket portion being formed in one component which is fitted within the other component with a space formed therebetween providing the flow passage for fluid flow from the fluid outlet to the container mentioned previously. Suitably, in such form, the securing means is provided on the other component and preferably is a threaded portion adapted to engage a complementary threaded portion on the container. It is also preferred that the adaptor include a threaded closure or other suitable alternative for closing the entry to the socket portion and that the one component include a complementary threaded portion or equivalent for cooperating with the closure. Advantageously, such arrangement allows the adaptor to remain connected to the container while still being able to be closed.
Preferably the adaptor includes residue limiting means mounted in the socket portion and adapted to co-operate with the spigot portion of a pump engaged in the socket portion so as to restrict the amount of surface area of the spigot portion which is contacted by liquid flowing from the container to the pump. Preferably the residue limiting means includes a plate-like component adapted to engage with the end face of the spigot portion to form a cover thereon.
In another aspect this invention resides broadly in an adaptor for a container for adapting an opening of the container to receive the spigot portion of liquid transfer apparatus as previously described, the adaptor including:
a wall defining a socket portion adapted to receive the spigot of the liquid transfer apparatus, an inlet in said wall for allowing liquid to flow into said socket portion and an outlet in said wall for allowing fluid to flow from said socket portion into the container, said fluid outlet being spaced from said inlet and the inner face of said wall being-adapted to sealingly engage with spaced apart sealing means on the spigot on each side of said outlet to isolate said outlet from said inlet, and
securing means on said socket portion or operatively connected to said socket portion for securing said socket portion to the container for liquid communication of the socket portion with the container.
In another aspect the invention resides broadly in an adaptor for fitting to a threaded opening of a container and adapted to co-operate with another product for the transfer of liquid from the container to or via the other product, the adaptor including;
a cap portion adapted to engage with the rim of the container opening;
a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart thread engaging components moveably connected to and depending from said cap portion and adapted to engage with respective circumferentially spaced portions of the thread about the opening, and
adjustment means operatively connected to said thread engaging components and adapted to adjust the position of said thread engaging components radially in and out for engagement with openings of different size.
It will be seen that the adaptor may be fitted to a plurality of different sized and/or different types of threaded container openings and adapted to co-operate with a desired complementary product. The adaptor has particular application for fitting to plastic four litre and twenty litre containers which at present are produced with a multitude of different sized openings and different types of threads. In many cases, the differences in opening size and type of thread is immaterial because the contents are simply poured from the container into another receptacle, for example from a four litre plastic oil container into an engine. However, the transfer of hazardous liquids from one container to another container or other receptacle must be undertaken with great care so that spillage is avoided. Additionally, in many cases great care must also be taken so that the desired amount of hazardous liquid is accurately measured and transferred. Advantageously, the adaptor in a preferred form cooperates with the adaptor for transferring hazardous chemical liquids from the container to the transfer apparatus for spill-free transfer.
Preferably the thread engaging components are spaced apart in the direction away from the cap portion so that they can engage with circumferentially spaced portions of the same thread form. It is also preferred that the thread engaging components or at least a portion of each of them be flexible towards and away from the cap portion whereby they are self-adjusting to accommodate threads of slightly different pitch, for example, they may be constructed of a low durometer material. It is also preferred that the thread engaging components be so made and arranged that the area of contact with the threads of the threaded opening increases as they are adjusted to suit openings of greater diameter so that they can bear a greater tightening force.
Preferably the cap portion has an integrally formed upstanding wall on the opposite side to the thread engaging components, which has formed therein a socket or has fitted therein an adaptor with a socket formed therein, the socket in either case having an entry adapted to receive therethrough the spigot portion(or other liquid entry part) of liquid transfer apparatus as previously described.
In another aspect this invention resides broadly in an adaptor for fitting to an aperture provided in a wall of a storage tank for receiving the spigot portion of liquid transfer apparatus as previously described, the adaptor including:
a socket portion having an elongate passage extending therethrough with an entry at one end adapted to receive therethrough the spigot portion of the liquid transfer apparatus for sealing engagement in the passage, and an outlet at the other end for allowing liquid to flow out of said socket portion into the storage tank to which the adaptor is fitted;
deflector means depending from said socket portion and extending across the passage for deflecting liquid sideways of said passage;
closure means for selectively closing said entry;
a flange extending outwardly from said socket portion intermediate said entry and said outlet and an external thread on a portion of said socket portion between said flange and said outlet, and
a nut adapted for threaded engagement with said threaded portion, the parts being so made and arranged that the threaded portion may be passed through the aperture in the storage tank wall and the flange engaged against one face thereof while the nut engages against the other face to secure the adaptor to the storage tank wall. Preferably, the socket portion has an external thread on the other side of the flange for receiving thereon a threaded cap for closing the entry.
In another aspect this invention resides broadly in the combination of liquid transfer apparatus as previously described for transferring liquid from one container to another container and an adaptor as previously described for adapting an opening of the one container for cooperation with the liquid transfer apparatus.
In another aspect this invention resides broadly in a carry case for a liquid transfer apparatus as herein described including:
a first part and a second part connected to said first part for pivoting movement from an open position in which the liquid transfer apparatus can be placed in and removed from one of said first and second parts and a closed position in which the liquid transfer apparatus is enclosed within said first and second parts, one or both of said first and second parts having a recess adapted to receive the end portion of the body having the liquid inlet to the elongate storage chamber, said recess being adapted to cooperate with the end portion to hold the apparatus in an upright attitude. In a preferred form in which the end portion of the body is conical in shape, the recess is formed in a corresponding conical shape adapted to receive the end portion and hold the apparatus upright.